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Blighted Tidioute property granted conservatorship, demolition likely

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Blighted property – like this one on Economy St. in Tidioute – is the primary focus of a recently completed report by the Warren County Redevelopment Taskforce, which functioned under the auspices of the Warren County Commissioner’s office.

The Warren County Redevelopment Authority has been granted conservatorship over a burned-out property in Tidioute.

The focus of a Tuesday morning hearing before Judge Gregory Hammond was the property at 3 Economy Street property owned by Twila Williams, who is deceased.

Several heirs were named in the Redevelopment Authority’s (RDA) petition but none attended Tuesday’s proceeding.

County Planner Dan Glotz testified that the property was transferred to Williams and her husband, James, in 1964.

“They are both deceased,” he testified.

Solicitor Andrea Stapleford indicated that the property burned in May 2016.

“It’s in pretty rough shape,” Glotz said. “The roof is completely gone.”

The property entered the county’s blighted property process in May 2017.

Glotz testified that there are still personal property items strewn about the property and said that an engineering report determined that fire damage to structural components of the would make it “difficult to rehab.”

He said there was interest in the parcel from a son of Williams but interest disappeared when it was learned that there is still a mortgage tied to the property.

Further, taxes are delinquent and the property did not sell at this fall’s upset sale.

“It is in no way fit for human occupancy,” Glotz said. Photographs show “a structure that is quite burnt out. Somebody could easily get hurt on the property. There are homes all around this property. The lots are not very big. (This property is) definitely bringing the value of neighboring properties down. It really detracts from anyone looking to (locate) in that neighborhood.”

He also testified that the RDA has incurred $3,595 in architectural fees and $2,450.90 in legal fees that it would like to recoup in this process.

Donna Zariczny with Inscale Architects testified she was at the property in July and then again on Monday and noted “no improved changes. (The property) continues to deteriorate.”

She testified that the fire appears to have particularly damaged the front two-story portion of the building, noted that the roof is not intact and testified that debris remains inside and outside of the building.

She also indicated that a pile of rusting metal on the ground in the front of the building poses a safety threat and that the door to the structure remains ajar.

“You can walk right in the front door,” she testified and added that there is “debris readily available to fly away” in a windstorm.

Zariczny said they did not access the structural integrity of the second floor but noted that with the roof open and collapsed trusses that the upper portion of the structure’s walls are “now floating free.”

“In my opinion,” she added, “the front portion of the structure should be demolished.”

Stapleford reiterated that the heirs were notified of the Tuesday hearing as well as the bank which holds the mortgage.

“The Authority certainly met its burden of proof in this matter,” Hammond said in granting the RDA’s petition for conservatorship. “It seems to me it is time to clean up… And demolish the property.”

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